Senior or Associate Project Surveyor (Employer’s Agent /Project Manager) - Chelmsford Salary £50,000 - £65,000

About Oxbury

Oxbury is a professional private practice of Chartered Quantity Surveyors and Project Managers.  We operate from our offices in Norwich, Cambridge, Chelmsford and London, providing the full range of Project Management, Employer's Agent and Cost Management (Quantity Surveying) services for a wide spectrum of public, private and commercial clients. We work in multiple sectors: Residential; industrial; commercial, infrastructure; education and leisure. We support our clients to build everything from carbon-neutral social housing and schools; through to prestige-brand manufacturing facilities and cutting-edge high-tech developments. Commissions often commence at scheme inception and cover a range of functions including viability studies, options appraisals, land acquisitions, planning, detailed design, procurement and construction. 

We are a friendly and ethical company that has been delivering high-quality services to our clients for more than 30 years.  We offer an excellent salary and benefits package, relaxed and flexible working conditions, and a focus on staff development and personal aspirations.

You can find out more about the Company here.

About the job

Continued growth within the industry and at Oxbury has created an opportunity for an experienced Chartered Surveyor with a background across a range of sectors, to deliver Employer’s Agent and Project Management services to a wide range of private and public-sector clients.  The role will be based at our Chelmsford office in Springfield.

You will be responsible for: 

Employer's Agent / Project Management

• Receiving the Client’s brief and ascertaining and agreeing requirements for the project in terms of design, specification, compliance, timetable and other matters.
• Liaising as required with other consultants and agents of the Client and instructing Architects, Solicitors and other consultants on behalf of the Client.
• Prepare and maintain up to date project directory.
• The co-ordination of projects pre-contract, including attending/chairing and minuting project meetings and preparing and updating development programmes.
• Establish appropriate channels of communication between members of the project team.
• Establish meeting structure. Lay down procedure for convening, chairing, attendance, function, frequency and responsibility for recording of meetings and circulation of information.
• Monitor communications and distribution of information.
• Arranging for site surveys, ground investigations and utilities enquiries to be undertaken
• Managing applications for planning permission and the acquisition of sites.
• Attend value engineering exercises as the design develops.
• Prepare a register of risks; formulating and reviewing strategies for minimising the same, and review and updated with the team during the project duration.
• Establish procedures to ensure necessary consultations take place with and approvals are obtained from all authorities or landowners with a legitimate interest in the projects, with particular reference to landlord, local authority, national authorities, statutory bodies and public and private utilities.
• Establish procedures to ensure the CDM and other health and safety legislation requirements are identified and a health and safety plan and file prepared and maintained.
• Preparing budget cost estimates for the scheme (in liaison with the cost manager as necessary).
• Inviting tender submissions from a select list of Contractors, or negotiating with a single (partnering) Contractor or Developer.
• Examining the Contractor’s Proposals and tenders and reporting thereon to the Client.
• The post-contract administration of Design and Build Contracts, as Employer’s Agent, including the chairing of meetings, minute taking, preparing project reports and cost reports for the client, preparing and recommending payment of Interim Applications, monitoring progress and construction, dealing with matters arising under the Contract and issuing appropriate instructions and the settlement of final accounts
• Provide the client with regular financial reports on estimated final cost including expenditure of PC and provisional sums.
• Establish a management system to deal with client required changes. Issue instructions as necessary and agree costs of changes with the contractor.
• Establish procedures for checking compliance with designs and specifications and the monitoring of standards or workmanship and materials.
• Establish a management system for the design team to comments on and / or approve drawings.
• Visit the site as appropriate to inspect generally the progress of the work.
• Issuing any necessary Instructions, Notices etc as required by the contract and ensuring that documentation to be issued by the Contractor is received.
• Inspection of the Works – in Phases, if appropriate – for the preparation of any necessary snagging lists (and subsequent re-inspection) prior to certifying Practical Completion or, at the end of the rectification period, certifying Making Good Defects.

Managerial

• Representing the Company to new and existing clients
• Receiving briefing of potential schemes from clients or colleagues.
• Provision of technical advice and support to other members of the team.
• In liaison with the Associate Director, arranging and monitoring individual Project Surveyor's workloads, ensuring deadlines are achieved and clients' needs are met.
• Providing in-house mentoring to Trainee / Graduate Surveyors to assist in their development and ultimately completion of their APC.

Business Development

• Formulating, maintaining and updating a personal Business Development Plan, feeding into the wider plan for the office and company as a whole.
• Attending local networking events and act as an ambassador for the business.
• Develop relationships with new and existing clients and other peers within the industry to encourage new leads and opportunities.
• Assist the Directors in preparing bid submissions, writing project profiles, updating personal sector specific CVs and generally assisting where required.
• If required, to attend client interviews on behalf of the Company.

Other

• Other general duties as may reasonably be expected from a Senior / Associate Project Surveyor.

You will work as part of a team with appropriate administrative support. Reporting to a Director you will also have technical and specialist support when required.

About You

For your application to be successful you must be able to meet all the essential requirements listed below.  The strongest applications will also be able to show that they meet some of the desirable requirements for the role.

Qualifications

Essential:

• MRICS, CIOB or APM qualified (or equivalent level of experience)

Desirable:

• Member of the Association of Project Safety
• Current CSCS card holder.

Experience / Knowledge

Essential:

• Experience of Design and Build procurement and contract administration, in the role of Employer's Agent, and use of the JCT suite of contracts.
• Experience of providing early advice and liaison with clients.
• Experience across a broad range of sectors.

Desirable:

• Experience of line managing / mentoring staff.
• Experience in using NEC Contracts.
• Experience acting on behalf of Housing Associations and Local Authorities.

Skills and Abilities

Essential:

• Capable of working autonomously and managing own time in order to meet deadlines and targets.
• Client focused.
• Professional demeanor.
• Confident verbal communication and diplomacy in a variety of situations.
• Able to quickly build new business relationships and develop potential opportunities.
• Computer literate.

Desirable:

• Actively involved in local property related events and continuous professional development.

Other Requirements

Essential:

• Capable of moving around a construction site (e.g. rough / muddy ground, climbing ladders, stepping over low walls etc.).
• Valid UK driving license (many projects are rural and not accessible by public transport)
• Committed to ongoing professional training and development.

Main terms and conditions of employment

Working hours:

The role can be full-time, working 37.5 hours per week.  Normal Company business hours are Monday - Friday, 9am – 5.30pm but we are open to discuss alternative working patterns.  Staff are expected to be office-based or on site visits for the majority of their time.  However, in order to minimise unnecessary travel and to balance home and work commitments, all staff have the opportunity to occasionally work remotely and to flex their working hours around our normal business hours on an ad-hoc basis.

Salary:

Starting salary will be in the region of £50,000 - £65,000 pa depending on relevant work experience. 

Company car allowance:

You will be entitled to a car allowance.

Training and Professional Memberships:

The Company will support you to maintain the appropriate levels of Continuing Professional Development required by the RICS (or other equivalent professional body) and will pay membership fees for one relevant professional organisation.

Pension:

The Company operates a non-contributory pension scheme for which you will be eligible.  Under the current scheme the Company will contribute 9% of basic salary.  You may make additional individual contributions (including via salary sacrifice) at your discretion.

Holidays:

English Bank Holidays plus 25 working days per year.  After 5 years completed service with the Company you will accrue an additional 2 days holiday per annum.

Sick Pay:

Statutory sick pay will be ‘topped-up’ to full salary for a period of 13 weeks in total in any period of 52 consecutive weeks.

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion:

The Firm has a clear Diversity, Equality and Inclusion policy and opposes all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination.  We hold the RICS Inclusive Employer Charter Mark.